Canadian aircraft manufacturer Viking Air has entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mahindra Aerospace to form a strategic alliance to boost regional air connectivity in India.

As part of the alliance, Mahindra Aerospace and Viking will support each other’s non-competing aircraft business to increase their presence in identified territories.

They will also provide several customised operational options to potential customers.

“Viking and Mahindra Aerospace have a natural fit when it comes to the supplying utility aircraft in point-to-point connectivity.”

The Indian diverse market is expected to offer various options for Viking and Mahindra Aerospace to form a mutually beneficial collaboration to develop regional air transportation solutions using their own respective resources.

Mahindra Aerospace executive director and CEO Arvind Mehra said: “Viking and Mahindra Aerospace have a natural fit when it comes to the supplying utility aircraft in point-to-point connectivity.

“These products complement each other well and offer our customers a wide choice depending on the size and scale of their operations.”

India-based Mahindra Aerospace currently runs a utility aircraft business, which is headquartered in Australia and involved in the production of the Airvan 8 utility piston aircraft.

The company has also developed the Airvan 10 utility turboprop aircraft, which has been type-certified in the US and Australia and is designed to carry ten people.

Viking Airis the manufacturer of Series 400 Twin Otter, a 19-passenger, twin-engine utility turboprop aircraft that is capable of operating in extreme environments and from multiple landing surfaces, including water.

All the aircraft types produced by both Viking Air and Mahindra Aerospace are expected to efficiently serve India’s varied geography, operating conditions, and regional connectivity requirements.